Goodman furnace reviews

[skylarkguy]

My 13 year old Lennox took a dump several weeks ago. Between a known fried control board and indications that the heat exchanger has failed i'm looking at at least $1200 to fix the old one.

I got a quote for about 4k after rebates to replace it with a Lennox. I started looking online and found a Goodman for about 1400 and i'd have to do the install.

Any thoughts pro or con about Goodman?

It is a 96 percent efficient 2 stage down draft. The install looks to be pretty straight forward. This is what the current one looks like.

 

[davesl708]

For what it is worth. My Mother has a Goodman 92k BTU that is 10 years old.
So far the blower motor was replaced three years ago and I replaced the gas valve this month. Other than that no other problems.

I did see the Goodman 100k BTU on Amazon for $854.

 

[RNeumann]

Goodman is typically the homeowner installed type brand. My worry with seeking reviews is the HVAC techs will bash them as it's sold to the end user.
If money is tight the repair seems like a good option. It only has 3 parts- The only other part they aren't changing is the fan! If you are wanting to do a project I'd look around. Big box stores, online and maybe a local wholesaler will sell to the public.

 

[davesl708]

I think Sears is the prime big box store for Goodman but online is cheaper.

 

[Infinite Wisdom]

Over the past 10 years we have had about 8 gas fired Goodman furnaces installed at rental properties we manage.

Not a single repair call yet!

 

[SJay]

I put in a Goodman this summer 96% 2 stage with AC. The circuit board was bad had it replaced under warranty - no problems since.

Better read about the warranty

Read About the Goodman Policy On Internet Purchases

 

[jenkinsph]

I have installed a few Goodman and Janitrol furnaces but I have worked on a ton of them. For the 90+ eff. furnace I prefer the Rheem/Rudd models as I have a bunch of them installed with very few break downs. Wholesale on a 120k 90+ furnace is around $1,000 to $1,200 depending on a few options for the Rheem/Rudd. The 80% units are about $600 for the 125k and $450 for the smaller 75k units.

 

[Gunny]

I put a Goodman in this house about 12 years ago, it's still working fine, no problems with it at all. The owner of the store that sold it to me told me that it might be hard to find anyone that would work on it if it did have problems, but at the time I was doing a kitchen remodel and money was tight, so I got the Goodman. For the price I got it for, I figured that if it lasted 6 years before needing any work, I'd still be money ahead.
If mine quit working today, I'd just get another Goodman and even then I'd be money ahead versus what I've been quoted for from the big name HVAC installers around here.

 

[Turbys_1700]

My HVAC professional installs Goodman heat pumps in homes. He put a 2.5 ton unit in my house 2-1/2 years ago. He has been installing Goodman units the past 10 years or so. I his opinion they are as good as anything else without the higher overhead cost associated with the advertising and promotional costs of units like Lenox etc. Very few issues in his experience. He is a full time licensed contractor. I paid him cash for the unit and install. The cost savings was substantial.

I know that this discussion was about furnaces but I would think that the inherent quality associated with heat pumps could be relevant to the discussion. Time will tell on my install. My original Bryant lasted 18 years.

 

[gsganzer]

I've had one for 12 years and no issues at all.

 

[jenkinsph]

My HVAC professional installs Goodman heat pumps in homes. He put a 2.5 ton unit in my house 2-1/2 years ago. He has been installing Goodman units the past 10 years or so. I his opinion they are as good as anything else without the higher overhead cost associated with the advertising and promotional costs of units like Lenox etc. Very few issues in his experience. He is a full time licensed contractor. I paid him cash for the unit and install. The cost savings was substantial.

I know that this discussion was about furnaces but I would think that the inherent quality associated with heat pumps could be relevant to the discussion. Time will tell on my install. My original Bryant lasted 18 years.

Most of us in the heating business will tell you that proper sizing and installation will make for a trouble free furnace that will last for many years. I don't think the brand makes as much difference as the installation does. Most new furnaces are very competitive and use similar or the same internal components. I would not be too concerned about brands being superior to others. I would not spend extra for a Lennox furnace as it does not pencil out.

 

[CurlyDave]

I have rentals and Goodman HVAC units seem to last as long as anyone else's and are available at reasonable prices.

I can order them over the internet and install them myself.

One thing to realize is that they are not warranted unless they are installed by an authorized dealer, according to the Goodman website.

My most recent unit came with a wire pinched between two parts during assembly at the Goodman factory. It was an easy fix, so I did not even try for a replacement unit, but I thought their QC was a bit lacking.

The contractor who built our house installed 3 Lenox heat pumps (large house) and we had 2 fail on the same day for the same cause just over a year after the house was finished. Lenox did not cover the repair labor, only parts, which was about 10% of the total. The HVAC subcontractor did give us a big discount on the labor since it is a small town and he has a reputation to protect.

Another brand to look at is Heil, which seems to compete with Goodman in the non-authorized dealer arena. Over the past 10 years I have had 2 or 3 Goodman units, 2 or 3 Heil units and 3 Lenox. Based on that limited sample, Heil has had no problems, Goodman one of 3 received defective but easily repaired, and Lenox had 2 of 3 fail very early.

I will probably buy Goodman in the future, based on availability and the fact that parts for our older Goodman units are easy to get on the internet.

 

[sailfast]

We commonly install Goodman for 3 reasons.
1 Reliable made in USA
2 does not use variations in parts over the same model so parts are easy to keep in Stock
3 price

 

[Bird]

My HVAC professional installs Goodman heat pumps in homes. He put a 2.5 ton unit in my house 2-1/2 years ago. He has been installing Goodman units the past 10 years or so. I his opinion they are as good as anything else without the higher overhead cost associated with the advertising and promotional costs of units like Lenox etc. Very few issues in his experience. He is a full time licensed contractor. I paid him cash for the unit and install. The cost savings was substantial.

I know that this discussion was about furnaces but I would think that the inherent quality associated with heat pumps could be relevant to the discussion. Time will tell on my install. My original Bryant lasted 18 years.

We may have the same model; at least same size and brand.:laughing: My HVAC company installed this one on May 8, 2010, to replace an 11 year old Rheem that would have cost more than it was worth to repair. I paid them $5939 total to replace EVERYTHING but the ductwork in the attic; inside and outside units, wiring, tubing, thermostat, AND 10 year warranty (from the company, not Goodman). But I also decided to pay them $12 a month on one of my credit cards, and they call me instead of me calling them, twice a year to schedule a thorough checkup at my convenience.

 

[Zick]

Put a goodman in our old house about 13yrs ago and never had an issue with it. We tore that house down and built a new one back in 09' and now that same furnace is repurposed as my garage heater.

 

[DuckSlayer1017]

Have a 96+ Goodman that is original to the house built in 2003. Put a new blower motor in it last winter. Had a poor wire connection this year that kept it from starting. Wiggling some wires fixed that one so I checked all the connections and it hasn't missed a beat since.

 

[dragoneggs]

I'm not saying a thing... lips sealed. Last time I bragged about my F150, a couple weeks later I was replacing an engine. I did forget to knock on wood though.

 

[dstig1]

My HVAC guy is a co-worker that did that in a former life. He pretty much did all the furnace and ductwork in my new house 3 yrs ago. He put in a Goodman as that was what he could get locally from Ferguson where he had an account still. He said he has had good luck with them over the years. Looking it over during parts of the install, a thought occurred to me: "I bet these things are all the same." I bet they all use the same solenoids and valves and ignitors etc as those are all components that they buy from others. The heat exchangers might be something they make internally, but then again, perhaps those are outsourced too. So it comes down to a matter of what they specify and assembly. Probably controls too. The sheet metal was sturdy and well done, which was a good sign. Very easy to go with the "tin foil" ga steel vs the nice thick stuff they did and save a buck. The fact that they didn't - on one of the components they clearly had to make or get custom made - gave me a good feeling that they weren't cheaping out. 3 yrs, working fine, no issues at all so far. Probably the most common replacement item will be the ignitor, and that is an easy swap. I wouldn't be afraid of putting another one in.

 

[Turbys_1700]

We may have the same model; at least same size and brand.:laughing: My HVAC company installed this one on May 8, 2010, to replace an 11 year old Rheem that would have cost more than it was worth to repair. I paid them $5939 total to replace EVERYTHING but the ductwork in the attic; inside and outside units, wiring, tubing, thermostat, AND 10 year warranty (from the company, not Goodman). But I also decided to pay them $12 a month on one of my credit cards, and they call me instead of me calling them, twice a year to schedule a thorough checkup at my convenience.

Bird my old unit was on it's last legs. I think it was an 11 seer. This unit is a 13. I've checked my power usage and right now this year I will realize a savings of $550 from the last full year of the older unit. So far I am very satisfied with it. I hope it lasts as long as the Bryant unit did.

 

[radioman]

i have goodman put in few years ago and its pretty much what you are looking at. 96 high efficiency unit . it been a great unit. The only difference from my 20 year old carrier is that it ran more often, but my bills has reduced by quite a bit. I had new hot water tank and 4 zone hvac system put in the same time as new furnace and i havent regretted it yet. the price alone was worth the comfort and reduced bills. when i first installed the goodman - turbo tax showed i qualified for the tax credits-- i dont think it available anymore but you could check.